Vitamin D Status and Asthma Flare-ups in Children: A Non-systematic Review

Özet

Several non-calcemic actions of vitamin D are well-documented in the literature. Its role in childhood asthma isnow an area of on-going research. Studies indicate that the severity of childhood asthma is directly correlatedwith reduced serum vitamin D levels. This non-systematic review aims to discuss the association of vitamin Dstatus with asthma flare-ups in children. We searched the PubMed database for articles that met the objectiveof this review. Vitamin D may play a vital role in lung health by inhibiting inflammation, partly by maintainingthe regulatory T cells, and by direct induction of innate antimicrobial mechanisms. Vitamin D also inhibitsadaptive immunity by delaying the proliferation of T-helper cells. For instance, the neutrophilic asthma phenotype is characterized by neutrophilic inflammation, whose induction is mediated by type 2 T-helper cells. Thus,vitamin D is related to the pathogenesis of asthma based on its ability to block the proliferation of T-helpercells. Predictably, hypovitaminosis D is associated with florid asthma symptoms, asthma flare-ups, decreasedlung function, and increased drug usage, as well as severe disease. Several reports have shown a strong relationship between wheezing symptoms/asthma severity in children and low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels.These findings support the use of vitamin $D_3$ supplementation as a potential strategy for reducing diseaseflare-ups in children.